Daniel's Death
by danielstable
Summary: After returning from the dead twice on his own, Daniel faces a problem. But he doesn't want to tell Regina. What will he get himself into when he goes to the Dark One himself?
1. Chapter 1

Part 1

Daniel shuffled restlessly around the guest bedroom after he heard Snow and Regina disappear. He was happy to see Regina and Snow finally happy with each other, he couldn't ask for anything better. But going back... Dead again. It had felt just as horrible as he rememberd, but as he sat of the edge of the guest room bed he realized it was worse this time.

Leaning his head into his hands, he tried desperately to ignore the pain. It just wouldn't go away... This head seems to pound with each heartbeat in his chest. He couldn't take it, he couldn't handle this feeling. He needed help... But to tell Regina would worry her. She didn't need that. He wouldn't do that to her. Daniel forced himself to move off the bed, to grab the clothes he had folded up and placed beside the bed from the day before. He knew what he had to do, and he knew he couldn't tell Regina.

Not seeing the keys anywhere he decided to walk. It wasn't to far to town, and then to the pawn shop he'd only been to a couple times before. He could push past the pain until he got there, then he would have to make a deal with the man himself. Rumplestilsken.

Twenty minutes had passed, Daniel hopeful that Regina and Snow wouldn't return for a while, he saw the open sign on the pawn shop and walked in.

The ring of the door bell sent another, stronger pain coursing through his body. "Gold?" Daniel forced out.

He saw a figure turn, standing in a black suit with a red tie Gold smirked, "Ahh, the Stableboy. What brings you to me again? Your dear wife wouldn't be happy about this would she?" His voice mocked Daniel with every word, but Daniel couldn't let it get to him, he needed this mans help. "She isn't my wife anymore. Mr. Gold, I need your help."

Gold's giggles made the pounding worse, "Ohh." He stepped out from behind the counter, "Trouble in paradise?"

Daniel, reaching for his head again, knew he had to explain what he wanted. "She had to reverse our lives. I went back to the dead." Gold's eyes widened, filling with mallice.

"The stableboy, rising from the dead, for the third time?" Daniel nodded, stepping closer to Gold. "What's wrong dearie? You couldn't do it again?" Daniel cut his eyes up at the man, he'd had enough. "The first time I came back was Whales doing. The second time I came back on my own. But this time... I did the same thing, but it's not like it was before. The pain... I need it to stop. Can you help me Gold?"

Gold's laughfter filled the room again, a puff of black smoke and a vail with a strange red colored liquid appeared in his hand. "This dearie, can solve your problems."

Daniel reached out for the vial, "Thank you Gold, thank you."

Gold retracted the bottle, pulling it to his side, "No, no, no... It doesn't come that easily." Daniel knew that was coming, he took a deep, strained breath and nodded, "What's your price Mr. Gold?"

The smirk that grew in the mans face, from nearly ear to ear, frightened Daniel, "You're going to show me how you've done it. You're going to show me how you've come back from the dead. Show me how you've broken the laws of magic."

It wasn't hard for Daniel to understand, but it was nearly impossible to agree to. "So you want to kill me again, so I can show you what I've done to come back?"Gold nodded, swirling the vial around. "But you'll give me that liquid now?"

"I'll give you this vial now, and another after you awaken from me killing you. That is, if you can do it?"

Daniel nodded, "When do you want me to do this?"

Gold held the liquid up to his eye level, his eyes growing darker. "The next time Regian and your daughter are out, I'll be here. How long it takes you to return to them, well that's up to you."

Daniel looked into the mans dark eyes as he held the vial out toward him again, "Deal."

Daniel grabbed the vial. "Nice doing business with you, dearie." Daniel walked out without another word, holding tight to the vial. Not opening it until he sat on the guest bedroom bed again, drinking the liquid down quickly. The pain instantly disappeared, but Daniel knew it wouldn't be long until he would have to face it all again.

To Be Continued Soon...


	2. Chapter 2

Daniel forced himself out the front door. Regina was making it so difficult for him to leave, but he knew what she didn't. He knew he had no choice. He had to go through with Rumples deal. He had to.

He'd told himself over and over again that he wouldn't have any issues getting back to Regina. No matter what Rumple did to him he would find his way back to her. But as he grew closer to the pawn shop across town, he became more unsure of himself. What if Rumple wanted to see him fail? What if that was Rumples goal? To kill him and make Regina hurt again. He couldn't let that happen, he couldn't.

He pulled the door open, the familiar ringing sounding above him. But this time Gold didn't wait to show his devious grin. "Ahh, the stableboy. Here so soon?"

Daniel didn't want to admit that he was nervous, but he couldn't say he was ready to face this. The fight he'd gotten into with Snow after Regina had confronted her had weighed heavily on his mind. Snow was happy with Regina, but things between Snow and himself weren't as well of as before the spell, and this time he feared he couldn't change it. But he couldn't let something like that fog his thoughts anymore. He had to be focused if his was going to work, if he was going to die and come back once again. "I'm here Gold, let's finish this."

"In a hurry?" Gold's voice was giggly, Daniel could tell he was excited about this. "I have a woman to get back to Gold, of corse I'm in a hurry." Gold stepped closer to him, closer and closer until Daniel's mind screamed it was threatening. "You seem so sure of yourself. You really think you're getting back to her? A third time?" Daniel forced himself to nod, even though he didn't completely believe the words he said, "I know I will."

"Very well," Gold's hand moved out infront of him, and began to wiggle his fingers. "I believe you know how this works," the man smirked, causing Daniels stomach to churn as his hand reached toward his chest, "This might sting a little."

He had to be brave, he had to be brave. Daniel clenched his jaw as he felt Gold reach in for his heart, then pull it out. He watched the bright red, glowing heart in his hands as he crushed it and Daniel fell into the distance blackness he'd grown so accustom to.

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

He woke up in the darkness. The pitch black surrounding's that always captured him in these situations, terrified him. He always saw the same black pit when he was sleeping, but when he was actually dead it was different. He could make his body move, like he was swimming in his own mind. A death sentence in his own thoughts.

Gold is watching me. Regina's waiting for me. He had to hurry. The thoughts sent his mind back into focus, he had to fight this, but the pain... The pain seemed to spread throughout his body. Worse than anything he'd ever felt.

He tried again, again to push at the blackness. He had to get out. Out! Out! Out! The pain only built up more, making him feel like his body was being crushed from the inside out. I can't do this, he thought, I can't do this.

He stopped trying. He could just stay like this, it wouldn't last forever. Or would he be trapped forever. Was he meant to come back? Was he the only one that got this time after his breathing stopped?

Regina. Her picture filled his mind, and that was all he needed. All he needed. "Regina!" he screamed as loud as he could, the sound instantly echoing around him. How could this be? What was making his yells come back? Was he physically trapped? Was he somewhere he couldn't explain. He pushed his body up, he couldn't see anything, but he had to try.

He ran. Ran, forcing the pain out of his mind. It killed him, trying to ignore the burn, the ripping, the hurt. But he ran, until his body hit something hard and he was thrown back. "Uhh..." He mumbled, all the pain even worse now. What did he hit? He forced himself to stand again, but this time he reached his hand out. He searched with his fingers for what he had hit, but when his hand felt the wall that felt almost... mushy, he understood.

Im in my own body, I'm stuck here. He felt defeated. How had he done this before? The other times had never seemed so difficult. How could he force his body awake? How could he do this?

His thoughts had all bundled together. He didn't know what to do. This was to much for him. He wasn't ever able to figure out the hard things, that had always been Regina's job, unless they pertained to her. ...Regina... What would she think of him now? Would she be upset? Devastated? Why did he agree to do this? Regina couldn't be put through losing him again, he couldn't imagine what she would do. They were happy, even if the spell she used had hurt things, the two of them were happy.

I have to fight... I have to get back... I have to get out of this... With each screaming thought the pain grew worse. How much more could he take? He had to have a plan, what could fix this. He sat back down to think, and began thinking allowed. "What would Regina do...? What would snow do...? They have magic... I don't. There has to be some way to force my body awake from the inside... But how?"

Daniel looked up, to each side, in front of him, then behind. That's when he saw it. The faint slim streak of light that shown though. His eyes. It had to be what seemed like thousands of miles away, but... Was this his only way? Could he force his eyes open and gain back control of each part of his body? It was worth a try.

He picked himself up again, running at full pace. No matter how much it hurt, no matter how bad it felt. He had to keep going. He had to reach the light.

I felt like forever, but he finally did it. He could see the sliver of light from his partially closed eyes. Every part of hi ached and screamed for release of the pain, but he had to get to himself. He had to be in his body again. He has to believe. Had to have hope.

He reached for the light, imagine the outside world. The pawn shop where Gold probably stood over his body, Regina at home waiting for his return, his first born daughter off with her love, and his baby girl... His baby girl he'd only gotten to hold for a little bit if time. But she would return, he clung to that believe. The believe that he and his true love could be happy, that their family would one day truly be complete.

His eyes flashed open, seeing the pawn shop he'd envisioned. He could see everything, but his lungs burned. He wasn't breathing. He tried with everything, everything he had and his chest tingled as it began to rise and fall again. Each limb slowly returning, until he was finally able to lift himself up and face the man that had put him through this.

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Daniel stared up at the man, his body still hurt, but it wasn't as bad. It was bare able, like the pain before he had ever come to Gold for help, but every light, every noise made it worse.

Gold's usual smirk was gone, replaced by a look that seemed like shock at first. But it couldn't be completely shock, Daniel could see that it was partially anger. "How did you do it!? How did you escape!?" Gold demand.

Daniel hardly even knew the answer. He... He... "I just kept pushing myself." He replied. "No. No, no, there has to be more to it. That's impossible! What did you see? How did you force yourself awake?" Daniel found it hard to answer his questions. Partially because of the pain throughout his body, and partially because he didn't know the answers himself. "I kept telling myself I had to get back. Reminding myself how much I was needed here, the people who need me. The woman who needs me."

Gold's anger seemed to fade slightly, his curiosity taking over. "So that's what pushed you? Your family." Daniel nodded. "You didn't experience any pain while you were dead?" Daniel tried to stand himself up, but stopped as he felt his body burn with more pain. "No, of corse. I was in pain. More pain then I've ever experienced after I've come back."

"But yet... You forced yourself out?" Daniel nodded again, holding his head to his palm to try and find some sense of comfort. "For Regina. For Snow. And..." his eyes moved down, "For Elsa."

Gold's eyebrows moved upward, "Elsa? You and Regina conceived another child?" Daniel forced his eyes back up, to meet with Gold's. "Yes... We did. But..., but the spell Regina did. It erased what had happened to our family in that time. So in turn Elsa isn't here any longer. Not yet anyways." Gold nodded slowly. "Very well, very well. I think I've seen and heard all I need to." The man pushed down on his cane and moved behind the counter.

"Wait a minute!" Daniel demanded, forcing his body to stand. "We had an agreement. I'd do this for you in return for another vial of that potion." Gold's lips curled, into the smirk Daniel knew belonged there. "Fine, fine dearie. No need to be so insistent." Gold pulled out the vial with the same liquid as the day before, "Just some advice, stableboy. I wouldn't drink this potion for sometime. When you came to me before the pain had been bothering you for days, this time it's fresh. Don't drink this until tomorrow or it might not work the way you expect." Gold tossed the vial at him with a flick of his wrist, Daniel catching it quickly.

He nodded, starring that the liquid. "Thank you Gold."

"Always a pleasure doing business, dearie. Just do me a favor, don't tell that wife of yours. It wouldn't help my state or yours." His giggles filled the room before he stepped into the back, disappearing, and Daniel walked out the door.

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Daniel moved as quickly as he could without making the pain too unbearable. How could he wait? Wait for relief of this pain he felt tearing at his body. He had to. He didn't have a choice. He didn't want to imagine what horrible thing could happen if he dared to drink that potion too early.

But his night had to go on. He must've been in there for hours. The night was pitch black as he walked through the streets of town. He stopped as he saw the glowing lights in one small store. He had to get what Regina had asked for, he wouldn't let what he felt ruin her night.

He entered the store, the ringing from the bell just like the one in Gold's shop made him feel as if he could screamed. But he wouldn't, he couldn't. He grimaced and forced himself to move through the store. Grabbing the red wine for Regina, and a small bottle of whiskey for himself, he moved to the cashier.

He paid for both items and exited, he wanted to hurry. He wanted to be back home so badly. To lay in bed with his beautiful wife beside him. But she'd told him he needed something comfortable to wear, so he entered the only shop open he knew he could find clothes.

He paid for two simple pair of jeans, a few t-shirts, and a pair of simple black sneakers, and changed into one of the pair of jeans. He was done now, he could go home.

His walk home only brought more pain, his head feeling as if it were lost. He had to keep his concentration, he couldn't lose himself, not now. Reaching in his pocket for the key Regina had given him, he felt the leather cuff. "Wear it while you're out. It'll keep you safe." Her words repeated in his mind. To make her happy he picked it out and placed it on his wrist.

The key turned easily in the door and he stepped in without another though. Placing the bag with his clothes down by the door, he grabbed the drinks and walked farther into the house. It made his head throb, but he needed to see her, so he called out, "Regina?"


End file.
